PLANE CRASH IN THE EVERGLADES

Place of Occurrence:
2.7 miles SW of Holiday Park, unincorporated Western Broward

Jurisdiction:
Western Broward County

Victim(s):

four adults

Suspect(s):

Description of Incident:

Four people are presumed dead following a crash in the Everglades involving two small planes.

At about 6:04 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, the Broward Sheriff's Office was notified by the State Warning Point in Tallahassee that two small aircraft were reported missing, and they had received two Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) approximately three miles southwest of the Holiday Park boat ramp located at 21900 Griffin Road in western Broward County. BSO law enforcement and fire rescue personnel, along with personnel from, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and JARED (Joint Airboat Rescue Emergency Deployment) responded to the scene and established a unified command post.

A USCG search and rescue helicopter spotted three areas of debris approximately 2.7 miles southwest of Holiday Park at 7:55 Sunday morning. BSO fire rescue, assisted by JARED, launched airboats to the scene in the Everglades.

It’s believed the two aircraft, a single-engine Cessna 172 and twin-engine Piper PA-44 Seminole, took off from North Perry and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International airports, respectively, late Saturday afternoon. At some point, the FAA was notified that the planes, operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), were overdue from training flights. Preliminary information is that two people were aboard each aircraft.

No survivors have been found, nor any bodies recovered. BSO investigators are continuing to gather information and document the crash scene while awaiting the arrival of representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

MEDIA NOTE: BSO INVESTIGATORS ARE BEING TOLD BY THE FLIGHT SCHOOL(S) THAT THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD EACH AIRCRAFT. WE HAVE NO OTHER CONFIRMATION AT THIS TIME. NOR DO I ANTICIPATE RELEASING ID’S TODAY.

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